New research indicates that over 60% of abortions in the United States were completed using medication in the past year, an increase from the previous year’s 53%.

In the initial year following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Guttmacher Institute reported an estimated 642,700 medication abortions were carried out. This method represented 63% of all abortions within the formal healthcare industry.

The information was made public on Tuesday, one week prior to the Supreme Court’s upcoming hearing on a case that could potentially affect women’s ability to obtain mifepristone, a medication commonly used in combination with another pill for abortion procedures.

Rachel Jones, a Guttmacher researcher, stated that the rise was not unexpected.

According to Jones, some states have implemented measures that allow healthcare providers to deliver mifepristone to individuals’ homes. This eliminates the need for patients to incur travel expenses or take time off work.

The information gathered by Guttmacher, obtained through communication with abortion providers, excludes self-administered medication abortions that occur without involvement from the health care system, and also excludes abortion medication sent through mail in states where abortion is prohibited.

Dr. Grace Ferguson, a gynecologist and doctor who performs abortions in Pittsburgh and is not involved in the study, stated that the combination of the COVID-19 crisis and the repeal of Roe v. Wade have created favorable conditions for medication abortions through remote healthcare services.

Ferguson stated that telehealth was an effective method of addressing the higher demand for abortions in states where it remained legal, resulting in more individuals traveling from states with stricter laws.

According to data from Guttmacher, there has been a consistent increase in the use of medication abortions since the Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone in 2000. This drug, which inhibits the hormone progesterone, also prepares the uterus to react to another drug, misoprostol, which induces contractions. This two-drug method is typically used for pregnancies up to 10 weeks.

The situation before the Supreme Court may restrict the availability of mifepristone through mail and enforce additional limitations, even in states where abortion is still permitted.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is responsible for all of the content.